Speedometer-drive adapter



May 14, 1929. E. GUSTAFSON SPEEDOMETER DRVE ADAPTER 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed June 7, 1928 mn im, wm M w d M mr w 5 M QW o,

May 14,Y 1929. E. GUsTAFsoN SPEEDOMETER DRIVE ADAPTER Filed June 7, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 gin/manioc fou/nf /.s'rAFsl'a/Y @wie ma f' Patented May la, lesaY EDWIN GUETALESON, OF FLllN, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNUR TU A C SPARK .'PLG C0l\f[l1%".AN"i,v

TENT OFFICE.

OF FLINT, IHIICHIGAN, A COMPAIQ'Y 0F MICHIGAN.

SPEEDOMETER-DRIVE ADAPTER.

Application filed J'une 7, 1926. Serial No. 114,263.

This invention relates to mechanism intended for connecting the conventional flexible speedometer shaft with a vehicle transmission, altl'iough its utility is obviously not restricted to this single lield of usefulness. ln driving such a shaft it is customary to provide a gear connection With the transmission shaft. lt frequently happens that the gear ratio between the transmission shaft and the speedometer shaft must he corrected, owing to changes which have been made in the sizes of tires or changes in the gear ratio at the ring gear. In the case of some trucks, several dillerentsizes of tires are optional as are also a number of diifering gear ratios. To accommodate these various differences it has been necessary7 to provide a number of so-called adapters for connect-ing the speedometer shaft with the transmission in order to give under all circumstances correct speed and distance readings.

lt is an object of this invention to provide a single adapter capable of use With a wide range of rear end driving ratios and tire sizes. lhis is accomplished bv associating with one gear in the adapter, a pluralitliT of other gears any one of which may be used by the correct positioning of its support or carrier. A further ohj ect consists in doubling the number of ratios by making the shafts (drive and driven) inter-changeable, Where by for every step-up .ratio there is an equivalent step-down ratio.

The invention will he understood by reading the following specilication together With the accom panying drawing. ln the drawing,

Figure 1 represents a vertical view of the take-oil' device with the adapter attached thereto. Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of the adapter removed from its connection with the transmission casing and With its shafts interchanged.V

Figure 2 illustrates a modified form in Section.

Figure 3 is a vertical section through the adapter on line 3-3 of Figure 2 showing the engagement. of the internal gear and pinion.

Figure 4l is a. similar view showing in dotted lines a representation like that in Figure 3 and in full lines the engagement of a second pinion With the internal gear.

Figure 5 is an end View facing the open end of the casing.

Figure G is a similar view of a casing coverD showing the of the pinion. Figure tion of modified form Figure 8 is a vertical section on line 8-8 of Figure 7, showing the adaptability of the mechanism for use of the several gears of different sizes.

Figure 9 is a vieW like that of Figure 7 shonfing a still further modification.

1 lligure 10 is a section on line 10--10 on l1 igure 95 illustrating the interchangeabilitv of gearing to effect changes in gear ratios. l

Referring to the drawing and particularly to Ythe .Figures 1 to G, numeral l represents a vehicle transmission casing1 from Which is shown project-ing a. shaft 2. A .For driving the speedometer this shaft is provided with a Worin 3 in driving engagement with the Worm gear fl onthe intermediate part of the shaft 5. this shaft 5 passes through an apertured and flanged sleeve G 'threaded into the transmission casing, its flange engaging the Wall of the easing. The end of the shaft 5 is received in a recess of a plug l", also threaded into the casing and in alignment with sleeve G. An external thread cult on the outer end of sleeve 6 for attachment with the adapter. '.lhe end of shaft 5 is centrally bored as at 8 and communicating therewith is a radial slot 9 for a purpose to he explained.

'lhe adapter comprises a casing member 10 and a closure or cover plate 11. The casing cooperating eccentric position 7 is a transverse secusing spur gearing.

lOis cup shaped and projecting from the bottom of the cup in an eccentric posit-ion is a tubular part 12. `Pressed into the tubular part 12 and entering the bottom of the casing a sleeve 13 having a flange 14 engaging the end of the tubular extension, and an outer end flange 15. This end flange holds in position an internally threaded nut 15 designed for engageinent` with the threaded end of sleeve G. lassing through sleeve 13- and j'ournalled therein is a shaft 16. The end of? shaft lo within the cup .shaped casing has fitted upon a reduced part thereof a ring gear 1S. rlhe other end of shaft 16 is bored and slotted as in the case of shaft 5. A con necting member 19 provided with lugs 20. This member 19 enters the apertures bored in the ends of shaft 5 and 16, the lugs entering the slots to ellect driving relation between shafts 5 and 16. This connection makes a sie 'The pinionV and gear have been remover'.

'tending eecentrically from the a pro` jection 22 insertible into any one of the plurality of notches 23 ci into the edge of the cup above the shoulder. A ring.;` 2l overlies the junction of casing and cover and by a plurality of fastening' nieans 25 secures the casingand cover together there being openings inthe ring and aligned threaded openings 26 in bosses 2G "f the casing' for the accommodation of the fastening ineans. Fn;-

cover plate is a .tubular extension 27 and within the same is pressed alsleeve 28 serving as a journal for a shaft 29. At its outer end the sleeve is enlarged and V'threaded as at 50 for :ittachinentto the end of the casino; of the flexn ible speedometer shaft. The shaft 29 within the sleeve 28 has at its outer end the saine bored and slotted arrangement described above for its connection with the speedomv eter shaft. Ati its inner end within the cup the Vshaft 29 carries gear 3() engaged with the ring gear 18.A

1 By reference to Figure 2 it will be seen vthat a lreverse arrangen'ienthas been iiiadc.

from their respective shafts, and the sleeves carrying the shaftshave been pressed out of the casingand cover and interchaneed. The gear and pinionlinve been replzn ind .ne

casing-v and cover assen'ibled. By tniis interehangingthe parts and with no addition of elementsV a change of gear ratio has been effected, one being" a step-up the other a stepdown, each to the saine extent.

. Inv place ofthe pinionBO inay readily be substituted any one of a group of pinions of varying diameters. As the center of the pinion shaft travels in circle about the common center of the casing and its cover when thecover and casing rare relatively rotatetitseev Figure y2), and owing to the fact ,that each of the shafts is inounted eccentrically a plurality7 of relative adjustments ofcover and casing;` will corres; in( to the use of the several piniens with the internal gear.. An inspection of Figures o and-Ll; wili explain this` adjustment of gear rn tios. yllhe dotted line pinion in Figure fl corresponds to the'pinion shown in Figure 3. The full line representation shows the cover and casing` as having been relatively rotated. rl`lie cross hatched shaft eari 7in@` theiinion has been carried about the axis of the casini@r as a center toa new position. In this new position a. smallerpinion hasbeen substituted for engagement with Ythe internal Vgear. Projvi'sion is inade for eight. pinions acconnno dated by eight different adjustments of cas ing and cover. Eight gear atios are thus obtained by use of our adapter and eight pinions. The ninnber of gear ratios is doubled by the interchange of shafts as explained above. Moreover the flexible speedonieter shaft niay be directly connected lo shaft 5 without the inter-position of the adapter tous securing a total of seventeen possiole gear ratios with a single adapter and its seven extra pinions. lt will be undeistood of course this nuniber is noi` neces-- sary, for a sinaller or larger number of rntios inay be inade use of.

Figure 2l illustrates a forni of the invention intended for use within the length oi' the 'licxible drive ineans. ln this Atorni instead of using part la duplicate of part 2t# is employed. rl`he two parts 2H are used one in the cup lll and the other in the cover ll. By this incans there is provided a threaded ineinber 30 at each side olE thc .dapter. rl`he plate of Fifrure 2 is inodi- Vtied to innle, it serve not only as the fastening ineans for parts l() and ll but :is :i supporting ineans. 'ilo that end it is extended is at 2l and the extension niay be sup ici-ted upon any convenient part as a frame neniber. rlhe part 230', as stated above, is adapted for attachmentto the flexible speedoineter shaft housing. lVhen the adapter is located nud-length the sjnfedoincter drive shaft. its adjacent ends :irc secured to the two threaded nieinbers 30. ln other respects 'this niodiiiezition in no ivziy dill'crs from thc forni of invention already descrilied.

Altiliui'es '4" and S show the adaptation o the invention to spur gears. ln these igij nres.y shaft 5 is driven by the shaft` 2. .fi shaft 5 is carried in an opening` in :1 plug;l 7 andin a passageway bored in the casinp; in alignment with the opening` in the plug. Sleeves Sl are located within the casing around the shaft 5 in abutment with the opposite sides of the worin geur i and the. casing` wall and plug` respectively'. The pgcar easing` is fornied to constitute an auxiliary hi'nisinel 32 within which the end of shaft 5 projects eccentricnlly. The cover 32E enrrics journalled therein, also eccentrically. :1 shaft 3l for engagement willi die spcedonieter shaft, the saine connecting` nicnns bcing used as before dei-zeribed. 'lhis shall` passes through a boss `in the cover threaded for engagement with the casing of the 'lexihre speedometer shaft. Vithin dic housing is a spur gear 35 on shaft 5 engaging :i spur pinion 35 on shaft A plurality oi' notches on the housing 32 :ind a projection on cover 3?) perinit the relative rotation of cover-and housingl as in the forni previously described. A plu ality of pinions are :1ttachable to shaft 3st in place ol" pinion 3G. one to niesh with `jear 35 in each ot the positions of adjustment. These arrangeinents are shown in Figure 8 whereby one Elfi 

